


Gratitude

by hungrybookworm



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Spoilers for the poll results I guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-01
Updated: 2014-03-01
Packaged: 2018-01-14 05:16:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1254244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hungrybookworm/pseuds/hungrybookworm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mysterious gifts appear one after another across Gensokyo...</p>
<p>Written in celebration of the 10th Touhou Wiki Popularity Poll results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gratitude

**Author's Note:**

> Touhou Project (c) ZUN/Team Shanghai Alice

“Those donations won’t appear out of nowhere you know,” said Marisa as she strolled up to the shrine through the snow, her hands on her hips and a huge smile peeking out from under her scarf.

Reimu pulled her head out of the donation box and frowned. “I’ve plenty of donations already, thank you very much. And what’s that on your dress?”

“Oh, this?” Marisa patted the colourful sash draped over her shoulder. “I found it outside my front door this morning. Check it out.”

Reimu narrowed her eyes. “’Congratulations! #2 in Gensokyo!’… Number two for what?”

“I dunno. Anyway, what’re you doing if you’re not fishing for coins?”

Reimu raised her arms out of the donation box and produced a small, round cake. “Someone got a whole cake through the bars. I’m not sure whether it’s a prank, or if someone got confused over where to leave offerings, or what.”

The cake was decorated with simple white icing, and had ‘Congratulations! #1 Forever!’ clumsily written in red. Marisa almost felt jealous. “Woah! Cut it up, I’ve been dying for some cake all week.”

“Who said I’d give any to you?” Reimu moved back inside the shrine and placed it on the table. “And don’t you get plenty at Alice’s house?”

“…I’d like some cake.”

“Gah!” Both girls jumped. Reimu turned and glared at the new arrival. “Koishi, don’t do that! How long have you been here anyway?”

Koishi shrugged. “I’m hungry.”

“Oh, you’ve got a number too.” Marisa glanced at her hat. There was a shiny new badge pinned to the ribbon. It was lime green with the number three painted in white.

“Yeah, I woke up and found it on my hat. I don’t know how it got there, but I don’t mind it.” She turned to Marisa. “Aiming for number one next year?”

“Well, eh…” Marisa looked away. “We’ll see about that.”

Reimu finished cutting the cake into thirds. “I’ll eat it all myself if you prefer staying out there in the snow.”

“You’ll get fat if you do that.”

“Who’s getting fat!?”

*****  
Remilia smiled, and pulled the vinyl record out from its sleeve. Beethoven’s _Sonata Pathetique_. Truly the best in western classical music. All she needed now was some piping hot tea to fully enjoy it. “Sakuya! Sakuya, where are you?”

“Um…” And in came Meiling of all people, in… a maid outfit? “I’m sorry, but Sakuya-san decided to take the day off.”

“What!?” Remilia’s face went bright red. Sakuya? _A day off!?_ “Bring her back right this instant!”

“I-I’m really sorry, but she’s gone up Youkai Mountain, so…”

“I don’t care; get her back right now!”

*****  
Flandre opened her eyes and rolled to one side. Another day. Another morning spent staring at reinforced concrete and peeling damp paint off the walls. She rolled over again, listening to her wings tinkle against the floor, when her foot collided with something.

She shot up, her heart pounding unexpectedly fast. It was a ball, made of what looked like rubber, and there was a note attached to it.

_Dear Flan,_

_Congratulations on finally beating your older sister and gaining fifth place in the poll. To celebrate, we pooled our savings together and bought you a present. It’s an indestructible ball, made from rare material available in the future. Hopefully it’ll brighten up your day a little._

_Love, your fans._

Flandre picked it up and spun it around. She rolled the ball over and over in her palms, searching for its weak point.

But there wasn’t one. She wasn’t sure how it was possible, or where it had even come from, but suddenly her hands were damp and her vision blurry, and she could taste salt in her mouth.

_Thank you…_

*****  
Sakuya sighed with relief. A mountain was no place for a human to be in winter, and stopping time had barely helped with the snow. But here she was, in front of the Moriya shrine, feeling horribly guilty for leaving her mistress all by herself for so long. But doing this would build ties long severed for the mansion.

“Oh, a visitor in this weather?” A familiar shrine maiden came out from the main building, half camouflaged in her white outfit.

“Yes, I’m here to see Sanae Kochiya.”

Sanae’s expression fell the moment she recognised Sakuya. “Oh. You. Here to gloat again this year?”

Sakuya had been a bit… rude during her last few visits, but this time was different. “I’m here to share these with you.” She held out a large velvet pouch. “There’s some shortbread inside.”

Sanae took the bag and peered inside, worried it was poisoned. “There’s no… blood or anything right?”

“No, it’s for humans.”

The snow silently fell around them, catching in their hair and melting against their cheeks.

“Um, why are you giving me these?” Sanae touched the tag attached to the draw string and turned it over. “’Congratulations on number four’…? You still got into the top five?” Her cheeks went pale.

“I’m here to apologise. I’ve been very unladylike in the past.” Sakuya grimaced from the memory. “And… I look forward to a time… where we can solve an incident together.”

“Together…?” Sanae reached into the pouch and pulled out a biscuit. All morning she’d been depressed about her rank. She thought about the time she got number two, how much fun she’d had solving incidents, but now… “Do you really want to team up with a loser like me? After all those mean things I said back when I was higher than you, and when Youmu was fighting alongside me?”

Sakuya smiled. “I wouldn’t come all the way up here if I didn’t.” And she reached in and took a biscuit too. “Can we eat these inside? I’m sure your gods will want a few too.”

Sanae brushed the snow off her bare shoulders, and let herself smile a little.

*****  
The next day…

“Reimu, there’s about five tons of raw sewage at the back of the shrine and a note from someone called ‘your anti-fans’.”

“What!?”

**The End**


End file.
